OUR airports are exposed to enough security breaches that last week’s armed robbery at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and the attendant reaction, should surprise only a few. Past attacks met with similar reactions.

DANA Airline yesterday, announced the suspension of all its flight operations nationwide.

The authorities of EkitiStateUniversity, EKSU, have expelled five students from the institution for allegedly raping female students.

THE poor kid from the plains, Hugo Chavez transited a week ago. In response, a large swathe of humanity stood still.

OUR suspected kidnappers, yesterday, abducted a 45-year-old Warri-based businesswoman and housewife, Mrs. Baby Obiokor in Ogbe-Udu, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

THE impetus for this essay rests on the contents of the front-page news-story in the Daily Sun of Friday, March 8, 2013 entitled, “Imo: APGA unveils plot to sack Okorocha, Speaker”. According to this news report, the ImoState chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has alleged a plot by the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to sack the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and to distort the activities of the Imo State House of Assembly.

THE leadership of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, weekend, asserted that the planned national convention of the party tentatively scheduled for April 8 in Enugu would hold, irrespective of the ramblings within it.

A socio-cultural organisation, Oganihu Owerri, has concluded arrangements to hand out appropriate punishment on lawmakers from Owerri senatorial zone found to be playing roles in the current impeachment saga against the Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso.

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, has said the state recorded a 100 per cent improvement in the 2012 West African Examination Council, WAEC, results, attributing the achievement to the “Support Our Schools Initiative” that promotes better teaching and learning environment in the state.

National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday, threw his weight behind the recent state pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and former bank executive, Shettima Bulama, among others, saying they deserved the pardon and called for the understanding of Nigerians.

PREPARATION for the conduct the local government elections in Kogi State slated for May 4, got underway weekend with the councillorship primaries of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, held across the 21 local councils.

PREROGATIVE of mercy and state pardons are not new in politics and public administration. Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, state pardon has been a powerful instrument used by the successive regimes and ruling cliques to manage relationships with their former friends who have become foes or their former foes who have either become friends or are no longer threats.

If I had my way, I would have banished this topic to the recesses of my personal history. In the words of the NFF President Alhaji Aminu Maigari, I would have taken this as one of those experiences needed to guide one through the slimy maze of one’s sojourn on earth.

This column has consistently maintained that the root cause of our economic paradox of increasing income, with unbridled unemployment rate, and deepening poverty will be found in the conscious and incorrect adoption of a faulty process for the infusion of our crude export dollar revenue into the economy.

LAGOS—FEDERAL Ministry of Works, yesterday, said the Ministry had adopted measures to bypass gas pipelines slowing down reconstruction of Oshodi/Apapa expressway.

Deputy Director in the Ministry, Mr. Godwin Eke, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that the Ministry had a meeting with gas companies whose pipelines were on its right of way to solve the problem.

He explained that the contractor; Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, discovered the gas pipelines while trying to lay underground plastic pipes for future use for telecommunication and other utilities.

H e said: “From the Beachland to Sunrise bus stop is covered with gas pipelines, valves and control valves. The whole stretch is covered and we did not anticipate that there will be any gas pipeline on the right of way when we began. It is when excavating for drainage channels and to pass our ducts for servicing across the road that we found the gas pipelines.”

He said the cost of relocating the gas pipelines was enormous for the companies and the contractor handling the project could not bear the cost which was not part of the contract.

Eke, who is the Engineer in charge of the project, said an agreement was reached to bypass the pipelines to continue work on the road.

He said the contractor also decided to place the manholes for telecommunication and other utilities a little outside the walkways where there were gas valves.

Eke explained that adequate measures had been taken so that there would not be any problem both for the gas pipelines and utility facilities in future.

Eke said the contractor also ensured that existing valve pit of gas pipelines were adequately protected with concrete covers with manholes created for the companies to access them.

“The valve pit for pipelines around Mile 2 area, Oshodi bound, we covered with our walkway but we put a manhole cover for them so that they can access their valve pit for gas. We have secured the gas pipelines and provided adequate concrete cover for the pipelines because they would be too expensive to relocate. We don’t have the money and the gas companies don’t have it also. The pipelines are buried on our walkway and we passed our duct under the pipeline but we put a manhole where companies can pass their pipes. We have a manhole for the duct where companies that have need in the future can pass their pipes through the ducts we have provided through the manholes without interference with the gas pipelines, “ he said.